My husband caught this recipe on the Food Network sometime in 2005, and this recipe has been part of our repertory ever since. The target consistency for this recipe is thick soup with a good amount of whole chickpeas. When chickpeas are seasoned and cooked well, whole chickpeas have a really creamy, comforting consistency when you bite into them. This recipe stores well in the freezer, so we sometimes double the recipe and store about half of it to eat over the next few weeks. Moroccan chickpea stew is perfect to make on a Sunday as it converts into easy meals throughout the week. This dish can be served as an appetizer or can be a main dish with larger portions and crusty bread on the side.

1

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower the heat if browning starts to occur.

2

Push the garlic and onions to the perimeter of the pot to make space to bloom the spices. Add the spices and sauté for about a minute, then mix in the onions and garlic with the spices.

3

Add the chickpeas and coat them in the the spice mix.

4

Add tomatoes, broth and sugar. Season with salt and about 10 grinds of pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If the level is shy, add some water so that the chickpeas are covered.

5

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.

6

This next step is completely optional. Remove soup from heat. Transfer some of the chickpeas to a tall measuring cup and mix with a hand blender, then stir the smooth mixture back into the pot. You could also mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot with a potato masher, but be careful not to scratch the bottom of your pot with the masher.

7

Stir in the spinach and let it heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes. If needed, season again to taste with salt and pepper.

8

Transfer the soup to bowls, then drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil. Top with Tabasco if desired.